contends for keeping the cattle, Moses insists that "not a hoof shall be left behind," and the contest terminates by an increase of Pharaoh's obduracy, and a greater and wider alienation. than ever between him and his Almighty Maker. He is no longer content to drive Moses indignantly from his presence, but carrying his hostility one step farther, he exclaims, "Get thee from me: take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face, thou shalt die." So quickly, where there is the power, is contempt for God's messengers succeeded by persecution; for thus invariably has "the seed of the serpent" treated the seed of the woman, in every age in which the arm of power has been wholly uncontrolled by truly Christian principle, or coerced by divine authority. The most affecting and interesting portion to the Christian, of this last plague, is the simple declaration, that while there was a thick darkness that might be felt, over all the land of Egypt, which so penetrated the houses, evidently to the extinction of artificial lights as well as natural, that “none rose from his place for three days," "all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings." How beautiful an instance of the tender compassion and discriminating love of our heavenly Father; and how often manifested even at the present day, and amidst his lesser visitations. Witness a season of great commercial trial, or of extensive individual ruin, or of dark and dreary family affliction—how wonderfully does the Lord still put a difference between him that feareth God, and him that feareth him not! The houses of the latter are, indeed, filled with darkness and consternation; the only light that guided their course, the pole star of the world, has failed them, and they know not where to look, or whither to fly; they can only sit in sullen, silent sorrow, until despair shall have done its cruel, and not unfrequent work, or time shall have brought its usual slow and heartless remedy. Whereas, let the external darkness be what it will, even the darkness which may and must be felt," all the children of God have light in their dwellings; they have, as David expresses it," the lantern" of the written word, the lamp of a Father's unfailing love, the light of the Sun of righteousness, continually shedding around them calmness and hope. Why should they despond? All is dark without, but all is bright within; and though there may be momentary exceptions and transient clouds, their light shall continue, until the joy and peace of the Christian's home on earth is 66 exchanged for the far brighter light and holier joy, and more enduring peace, which await him. in the many mansions of his Father's house. EXPOSITION XXVIII. EXODUS xi. 1-10. 1. And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. 2. Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. 3. And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. 4. And Moses said, Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 5. And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. 6. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. 7. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. 8. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. 9. And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. : 10. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land. We are now drawing very near to the conclusion of Pharaoh's sad and painful history. Although there is a division between this chapter and the preceding, it is evident that it formed a part of the same conference before Moses left the presence of Pharaoh for the last time, for he is not said to have gone out from Pharaoh after his own declaration, "I will see thy face again no more," until the eighth verse of the present chapter. Moses was probably in the act of leaving the court, when the Lord stopped him with the solemn declaration, "Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh," and then no doubt proceeded to communicate to him the appalling nature of it, since we find Moses immediately declaring it to Pharaoh, with every circumstance of attendant terror. "All the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die." "And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more." How unutterably fearful a denunciation! and yet how incapable of softening the judicially hardened heart of the monarch! Moses now for the first time seems to be assuming the power and rank with which the Almighty had invested him. "All these thy servants," he says to Pharaoh, "shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out." As if he had said, Dost thou refuse to let us go? Hast thou forbidden me to come again into thy presence upon pain of death? then attend; all these thy servants, the princes who surround thee, shall, before this night of vengeance dawns into day, come down to me and supplicate me to depart, and I will not do it until that which thou hast so often denied to me as a matter of justice shall be thus asked at my hands, as a favour and a boon. How wonderfully was the power of the Most High magnified by this bold and fearless declaration of his servant! Who could suppose that this was he who had |